Methods and infrastructure equipment

Abstract

An infrastructure equipment of a wireless communications network is configured to act as a first relay node by determining an allocation of a first set of communications resources by the infrastructure equipment acting as a first relay node for another infrastructure equipment acting as a second relay node, the communications resources for transmitting uplink data from a first communications device to an infrastructure equipment connected to a core network part of the wireless communications network acting as a donor node, the allocation of the first set of communications resources for the other infrastructure equipment acting as the second relay node being based upon a donor set of communications resources allocated by the donor node for communicating the uplink data from the first communications device to the donor node via the infrastructure equipment acting as the first relay node.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A first infrastructure equipment acting as a first relay node in a wireless communications network, the first infrastructure equipment comprising circuitry configured to
 determine an allocation of a first set of communications resources for a second infrastructure equipment acting as a second relay node, the communications resources for transmitting uplink data from a first communications device to a donor node connected to a core network part of the wireless communications network, the allocation of the first set of communications resources for the second infrastructure equipment being based upon a donor set of communications resources allocated by the donor node for communicating the uplink data to the donor node via the first infrastructure equipment, 
 transmit an indication of the first set of communications resources to the second infrastructure equipment; 
 transmit, to the second infrastructure equipment, an activation indication, the activation indication indicating that at least a portion of the first set of communications resources for transmission of the uplink data by the second infrastructure equipment, wherein the activation indication is separate from the indication of the first set of communication resources; 
 receive the uplink data, the uplink data having been transmitted by the second infrastructure equipment using activated communication resources indicated by the activation indication; and 
 transmit the uplink data to the donor node using a second set of communications resources different from the first set of communications resources, 
 wherein, before the uplink data is transmitted by the second infrastructure equipment, the uplink data is transmitted by the first communications device. 
 
     
     
       2. The infrastructure equipment according to  claim 1 , the first infrastructure equipment comprising circuitry is further configured to, after transmitting the indication of the first set of communication resources to the second infrastructure equipment acting as the second relay node, transmit to the second infrastructure equipment acting as the second relay node an activation indication, the activation indication indicating that at least a portion of the first set of communications resources may be used for the transmission of the uplink data by the second infrastructure equipment acting as the second relay node. 
     
     
       3. The infrastructure equipment according to  claim 1 , wherein the first infrastructure equipment comprising circuitry is further configured to:
 receive an indication of a portion of the donor set of communications resources, the portion of the donor set of communications resources comprising the first set of communications resources and the second set of communications resources, and 
 in response to receiving the indication of the portion of the donor set of communications resources, determine the allocation of the first set of communications resources. 
 
     
     
       4. The infrastructure equipment according to  claim 3 , wherein the first infrastructure equipment comprising circuitry is further configured to:
 determine an allocation of a third set of communications resources by the first infrastructure equipment for another infrastructure equipment acting as a third relay node, the communications resources for transmitting uplink data from a second communications device to the donor node, and 
 transmit an indication of the third set of communications resources to the another infrastructure equipment, 
 wherein the portion of the donor set of communications resources comprises the third set of communications resources. 
 
     
     
       5. The infrastructure equipment according to  claim 1 , wherein the first infrastructure equipment comprising circuitry is further configured to:
 transmit the indication of the allocation of the first set of communications resources in a radio resource control, RRC, message. 
 
     
     
       6. The infrastructure equipment according to  claim 1 , wherein the first infrastructure equipment comprising circuitry is further configured to:
 transmit the indication of the allocation of the first set of communications resources in a control signalling message transmitted on a Physical Downlink Control Channel. 
 
     
     
       7. The infrastructure equipment according to  claim 1 , wherein the first infrastructure equipment comprising circuitry is further configured to:
 determine at least one of a traffic demand, a network load, and a radio condition associated with a wireless access interface, 
 repeating the determining the allocation of the first set of communications resources and transmitting the indication of the first set of communications resources to the other infrastructure equipment acting as the second relay node, and 
 determined the allocation of the first set of communications resources at least in part based on the determined at least one of the traffic demand, the network load, and the radio condition associated with the wireless access interface. 
 
     
     
       8. The infrastructure equipment according to  claim 1 , wherein the first infrastructure equipment comprising circuitry is further configured to:
 receive from the second infrastructure equipment acting as the second relay node an indication of a request, the indication having been transmitted using the first set of communications resources, wherein 
 the request is for a modification of a route or a request for an allocation of communications resources for the transmission of the uplink data from the first communications device. 
 
     
     
       9. A method of operating a first infrastructure equipment acting as a first relay node in a wireless communications network, the method comprising:
 determining an allocation of a first set of communications resources for a second infrastructure equipment acting as a second relay node, the communications resources for transmitting uplink data from a first communications device to a donor node connected to a core network part of the wireless communications network, the allocation of the first set of communications resources for the second infrastructure equipment being based upon a donor set of communications resources allocated by the donor node for communicating the uplink data to the donor node via the first infrastructure equipment, 
 transmitting an indication of the first set of communications resources to the second infrastructure equipment; 
 transmitting, to the second infrastructure equipment, an activation indication, the activation indication indicating that at least a portion of the first set of communications resources for the transmission of the uplink data by the second infrastructure equipment, wherein the activation indication is separate from the indication of the first set of communication resources; 
 receiving the uplink data, the uplink data having been transmitted by the second infrastructure equipment using activated communication resources indicated by the activation indication; and 
 transmitting the uplink data using a second set of communications resources different from the first set of communications resources, 
 wherein, before the uplink data is transmitted by the second infrastructure equipment, the uplink data is transmitted by the first communication device. 
 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving an indication of a portion of the donor set of communications resources, the portion of the donor set of communications resources comprising the first set of communications resources and the second set of communications resources, wherein 
 the determining the allocation of the first set of communications resources is in response to receiving the indication of the portion of the donor set of communications resources. 
 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining an allocation of a third set of communications resources by the first infrastructure equipment for another infrastructure equipment acting as a third relay node, the communications resources for transmitting uplink data from a second communications device to the donor node, and 
 transmitting an indication of the third set of communications resources to the another infrastructure equipment, 
 wherein the portion of the donor set of communications resources comprises the third set of communications resources. 
 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 determining the allocation of the first set of communications resources comprises receiving an indication of the first set of communications resources, the allocation of the first set of communications resources are allocated by the infrastructure equipment acting as the donor node and the allocation of the second set of communications resources are allocated being carried out by the infrastructure equipment acting as the donor node. 
 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the indication of the first set of communications resources is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment acting as the donor node. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein transmitting the indication of the allocation of the first set of communications resources is in a radio resource control, RRC, message. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein transmitting the indication of the allocation of the first set of communications resources is in a control signalling message transmitted on a Physical Downlink Control Channel. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the donor set of communications resources comprise a portion of a system bandwidth assigned for the exclusive use of an operator of the wireless communications network. 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the first set of communications resources is allocated for contention-based access among a plurality of infrastructure equipment including the infrastructure equipment acting as the second relay node. 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 determining at least one of a traffic demand, a network load, and a radio condition associated with a wireless access interface 
 repeating the steps of determining the allocation of the first set of communications resources and transmitting the indication of the first set of communications resources to the other infrastructure equipment acting as the second relay node, wherein 
 the allocation of the first set of communications resources is determined at least in part based on the determined at least one of the traffic demand, the network load, and the radio condition associated with the wireless access interface. 
 
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 transmitting to the second infrastructure equipment acting as the second relay node an indication of a candidate request communications resource, the candidate request communications resource for initiating a procedure to request the allocation of communications resources for the transmission of the uplink data via a candidate infrastructure equipment acting as a fourth relay node 
 wherein the candidate request communications resource comprises at least one of a reserved preamble for use on a random access channel or an uplink grant of communications resources for the transmission of a request to the candidate infrastructure equipment. 
 
     
     
       20. The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving from the second infrastructure equipment acting as the second relay node an indication of a request, the indication having been transmitted using the first set of communications resources, wherein 
 the request is for a modification of a route or a request for an allocation of communications resources for the transmission of the uplink data from the first communications device.